Are these legitimate Microsoft messages?
QMy PC has started displaying messages, supposedly from Microsoft, saying that support for Windows 7 is ending. I know that’s true because I’ve read about it in your magazine a few times over the past year. However, I’m wondering if these pop-ups are legitimate, or some kind of scam? There’s a ‘Learn more’ button that I haven’t clicked, obviously, but I would like to stop these messages appearing. I haven’t installed anything new recently. Joe Woodward
AAs per our response to fellow reader John Lindley on page 65, we’re compelled to warn that any unexpected pop-up message could be a scam. However, in this case the message is – or rather, was – almost certainly legitimate, because last year Microsoft instructed computers still running Windows 7 to display warnings of this nature (see screenshot). It explained this in a blog post, at www.snipca.com/33430. Note that we said ‘was’, because the portent has now happened: as of this issue’s publication date, support for Window 7 has officially ended.
However, if you’re sticking with Windows 7, then you’ll continue to see these pop-ups, and over time perhaps new and increasingly urgent variants. Clicking the ‘Learn more’ button will do no more than take you to a Microsoft website that explains the situation, what your options are and the risks of sticking with Windows 7.
So, there’s nothing to worry about with specific regard to these messages. If you want to suppress them, you can tick the ‘Do not remind me again’ box and then click the red cross at the top right to close the window.
However, the bigger concern is continuing to use an unsupported operating system. Over the past few issues we’ve offered plenty of advice on this matter, but at the very least ensure that you have good security software installed – and keep it up to date.